This invention relates to a figure retaining or adjusting pad and a process for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a pad for retaining or adjusting the figure of, for example, a woman and a process for manufacturing the same.
When the breast of a woman is excised by operation for, for example, mastitis or the like, a figure or breast adjusting pad made in conformity to the breast is often substituted therefor. Thus, the figure adjusting pad is substituted for a part of the body, therefore, it is desired to exhibit properties similar to those of the body. This requires the figure adjusting pad to have flexibility, elasticity, shape-retention, touch and strength sufficient to conform to the body. Also, the figure adjusting pad is typically fitted directly to the bare skin, resulting in the pad being required to exhibit satisfactory air-permeability and possess aesthetic properties and qualities sufficient to act as a part of a foundation.
In view of the foregoing, a pad made of a gel-like material formed with perforations comprising open cells is proposed, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 40728/1986. However, the pad proposed is made of an oily or water-containing gel material, resulting in having a sticky surface. Thus, the conventional pad is deteriorated in touch, is decreased in surface strength, and fails to permit the periphery thereof to exhibit satisfactory shape-retention. In order to solve these problems, the gel-like material is fully sealed and covered with a plastic film or the like. Unfortunately, this fails to provide sufficient adhesion between the gel-like material of the pad and the plastic film, leading to peeling or removal of the gel-like material from the plastic film, as well as movement and deformation of the gel-like material and wrinkling of the film.
Also, the conventional pad fails to exhibit sufficient shape-retention, for example, when it is applied to a breast adjusting pad. This is particularly noticeable at the periphery of the pad, so that a final product is highly deteriorated in quality. One of the assignees proposed an approach to the problem of the shape-retention, as suggested in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 131007/1993, wherein an end of the pad is subjected to a sewing treatment in order to solve the problem.
Also, the assignee attempted to provide a figure adjusting pad with improved fat and weight sensation and increased air-permeability, as proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 152796/1994, which discloses a figure adjusting pad and a method for preparing the same. In the Japanese application, as shown in FIG. 13(a), a shaping sheet 10' which comprises a sheet 11' made of vinyl chloride is temporarily adhered to a knitted web S by means of a synthetic resin adhesive 12'. Unfortunately, use of the synthetic resin adhesive 12' causes adhesion between the shaping sheet 10' and the knitted web S to be excessively increased to the degree of rendering the release of a protuberance forming mold from a formed pad body 2' (FIG. 13(b)) substantially difficult, resulting in troubles such as retention of the synthetic resin adhesive 12' on the fabric, damage to the fabric S and the like.
Also, as shown in FIG. 13(b), adhesion between a rear surface of the pad body 2' and a backing sheet 3a is carried out by means of an adhesive 23'. The adhesive 23' is applied uniformly over all of a contact region between the pad body 2' and the backing sheet 3a. Thus, the pad body 2' and backing sheet 3a are deteriorated in air-permeability at a region thereof to which the adhesive 23' is applied even when they are formed of an airpermeable material, resulting in the formed figure adjusting pad failing to exhibit satisfactory air-permeability. Further, the backing sheet 3a is contacted directly with the skin of a wearer, thereby causing sensation of the cured adhesive 23' to be carried to the skin, resulting in the wearer having an unpleasant feeling toward the pad. Moreover, joining between a polyurethane film P acting as a facing sheet and the fabric S is carried out by only penetrating the polyurethane film P into stitches of the fabric S accompanied by softening of the film P, so that repeated use of the figure adjusting pad possibly causes peeling of the film P and the fabric S from each other.